Giving In
by AmiaMermaid
Summary: Candy wasn't quick enough to get away from Houlihan in the Twilight Palace. Now, he has her and she starts to realize that he's not such a bad guy. A little odd, but not evil. In fact, they grow to like each other. Whatever will happen next?


**Personally, I think it would be great if this happened.**

**I don't own the Abarat, Candy, Christopher Carrion, or any of the other characters in this story.**

**This starts right about the time of Candy's dream in the second book when Filth wakes her up. To be totally honest, I use some of Clive's original text to help you recall…But this is**

**Totally and completely Clive Barkers…WOOT! GO CLIVE!!**

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Still, she _had _to go. The panicked voice was close. And now she recognized it.

_"Filth!" _she said.

_"The munkee?"_ Clause replied.

_"Yes. Yes, the munkee!"_ Candy replied. _"He's in trouble. I have to go to him!" _She pulled her hand from the King's hand, and as they broke contact she felt herself rising up out of the waking dream. _"I'm sorry,"_ she said to the King as his face grew dimmer before her. _"I'm sure I'll--"_

She didn't have a chance to finish the sentence. At that moment she woke and the dream disappeared in a heartbeat.

Filth was at her side, his eyes crazier than ever.

"Someone's _here_!" Filth cried. "He's headed this way this very instant." His finger found its way up his nose as he spoke earnestly.

"Who? Do you know?" Candy asked. Surely, he had to know who, why else would he be so panicked.

"I don't know who but he has stichlings. Lots of them, but they are bigger and uglier." Filth exclaimed.

"Bigger and uglier than what?" Candy asked.

"The normal stitchlings. These ones are huge and a man is leading them."

"Yes, you told me that." Candy sat up.

"I did?" Filth dropped to the floor and stood on his hind legs.

"Yes, now, what does _he_ look like?" Candy asked.

"He's very pale, he's got tattoos on his face, he looks angry."

"Houlihan," Candy muttered. "The Criss-Cross Bounty Hunter."

"Don't you mean Criss-Cross man?"

"Not really," Candy jumped to her feet. "He's being paid to catch me." She looked up and down the hall.

"Candy, I know you are here somewhere." Otto's voice rang through the corridors.

"_Run_," Candy said. Filth jumped back into the tree he had fallen from and scrambled away. Candy's heart pounded in her chest as she ran. The Twilight Palace was built very much like a labyrinth. She'd take a turn just to find herself facing another wall or a door that lead to a dead end.

"There you are," Houlihan said as Candy opened what seemed the hundredth door. "You know the funny thing about these castles? They tend to all lead to the same place eventually. If you had done your studies you would have known."

"I did, but _Klepp's Almanac _said nothing about palaces. Or you." Candy attempted to shut the door, but a large bat like thing got in the way.

"Have you heard about Star Strikers, Candy?" Houlihan asked, admiring the weapon in his hands. "This one in particular has struck millions of stars out of the sky, and killed millions more. What is keeping me from killing you now?"

"Decency, your heart, the fact that you don't want to die at the hands of Carrion." Candy listed off.

"Me? Decency, a heart? My, my you sure don't know me at all do you?" He asked resting on the bat.

"I haven't really had a chance to know you, have I?" Candy stalled. She began backing away, and Houlihan noticed. He was far from impressed.

"Don't you move when I'm talking to you!" He bellowed. "Look, you don't want to die. I don't want to kill you yet, but I sure do hope I'll have the pleasure of doing so." Candy froze. _He wants to kill me_, she thought. She didn't want to upset him, she wanted to stay alive, venture to all the different places, see Malingo again.

For whatever reason, her heart went out to him. He reminded her of the bad guy on the soap operas that played when her dad was passed out. The bad guy always pursued the good girl, always wanted something from her. Her wheels began turning. In all those shows, the bad wouldn't have happened if the girl had just amused him.

"Fine, Houlihan, take me to your dark Lord." Candy put her hands up as if he was going to cuff her. His eyebrows arched at this gesture. He reached into the pack that lazily swung about his waist and pulled out a leather cord. He wrapped it tightly around her outstretched wrists and lifted her over his neck, as if she was a piece of jewelry.

"If you planned on just giving up, then why didn't you just do it in the first place?" He asked as her legs swung about his back.

"Haven't you ever heard of a girl playing hard to get?" Candy asked. But even she didn't know why she had just given in; she just hoped it wouldn't lead in her death.


End file.
